The average temperature throughout Germany last month was 12.4C - that is a whole 5C higher than the April value from the internationally valid comparison period from 1961-1990 and 4C above a later reference period from 1981-2010.

The German capital was followed by Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony - each with an average temperature of 13C.

The states which showed the largest deviation (5.7C) from the multi-year average were Saxony and Thuringia, respectively.

And on the other end of the scale, Schleswig-Holstein was Germany's coldest state in April with temperatures averaging just 9.9C.

In order to find the coldest ever April one would have to go way back in history, according to the DWD, as the warmest months have all been recorded in recent years.

In the years 1903, 1917 and 1929, average temperatures of below 5C were registered. The discrepancy between these temperatures and the ones recorded nowadays can be attributed to the effects of climate change, says DWD spokesman Gerhard Lux.